ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al-Laṭīf Āl ash-Shaykh (1848–1921) was a scholar from

Nejd Najd ( ar, نَجْدٌ, ), or the Nejd, forms the geographic center of Saudi Arabia, accounting for about a third of the country's modern population and, since the Emirate of Diriyah, acting as the base for all unification campaigns by the H ...

Arabia The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...

and was the grandfather of King Faisal. He was a descendant of Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al Wahhāb.

Background

Abd Allah ibn Abd al-Latif Al ash-Sheikh was born in 1848 into the noted family of Nejdi religious scholars, the Al ash-Sheikh, descendants of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. His father was . One of Abd Allah's brothers, Muhammad, was also a religious figure.

Career

Abd Allah was the leader of the Saudi

ulema In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...

at the end of the 19th century. He was the teacher of Ibn Saud, later King Abdulaziz, concerning the principles of the Islamic jurisprudence and

monotheism Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxfo ...

. In 1892, the Saudi state was destroyed by their rivals, the Al Rashid of Ha'il, and the Saudi leadership went into exile. Rather than going into exile as well, Abd Allah sided with the Al Rashid and moved to Ha'il. The Al Saud returned from exile in 1902 under the leadership of Abdulaziz Al Saud (later Saudi Arabia's first king) and re-established the Saudi state around Riyadh. Abd Allah bin Abd al-Latif then changed sides again and re-joined the Al Saud, a change of heart which was accepted by Abdulaziz. Abd Allah was one of the ulemas who guided the early leaders of the Ikhwan when the group was formed by Abdulaziz in 1912. He remained as leader of the Saudi religious establishment until his death in 1921.

Personal life

In 1902, his and Haya bint Abdul Rahman Al Muqbel's daughter, Tarfa bint Abdullah, married Ibn Saud. Their son, Faisal, later became King of Saudi Arabia. Abdullah's two other daughters also married the members of the Al Saud family. His daughter Sara married

Saad bin Abdul Rahman Sa'ad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (1890–1915) was the brother of Abdulaziz, Emir of Nejd (who later founded the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). He was one of Abdulaziz's most devoted supporters and a key lieutenant in his early military campaigns. Ear ...

, full brother of King Abdulaziz. The other daughter, Munira, married to

Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud ( ar, محمد بن عبد الرحمن آل سعود ''Muḥammad bin ʿAbd ar Raḥman Āl Suʿūd''; 1877 – 25 July 1943) was an Arabian soldier and politician who played a role in the conquests of his ha ...

, half-brother of King Abdulaziz. These marriages were strategic moves to strengthen the links between two families, namely the Al Sauds and the Al Sheikhs.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sheikh, Abd Allah Abd al-Latif 20th-century Saudi Arabian people 1848 births 1921 deaths Saudi Arabian Wahhabists